Today was our fourth day in Ireland and things have been coming together nicely. There are several things I have noticed about the Irish people. We visited Croke Park where we were given a detailed tour of the stadium. It was very interesting to me learning about their national sports hurling and Gaelic football. What was most interesting to me is the connectedness of these sports with Irish culture and history. First they have a deep sense of national pride. Each village in Ireland has its own teams and are volunteers who play out of sheer love for the sport.

Croke Park is a very important part of the culture for many reasons. First, the sports played there bring the community together to support their local teams. Also Croke park was the site of Bloody Sunday where English soldiers opened fire on the locals and dozens of Irish civilians were killed. You can feel the history and sense of pride when you walk into the stadium. The Irish people are very knowledgeable about their national sports and history. They take pride in their culture and all come together and support each other when playing the games.

My sense of identity involves many things. First I am a Pitt business student and am a Marketing and Supply Chain management major. I am prideful in my family and an a son, a brother, and an uncle. I take pride in Pittsburgh where I am from. I take pride in where I come from and appreciate the situation I am in that has made me who I am today.